Tamales are the epitome of Mexican food and one of the classic tastes of the Hispanic kitchen. Tamales are "mother" food or comfort food, Latin style. The dough is made from masa harina or "masa flour," the ground corn that has been soaked in lime, then dried for storage, to make the corn kernel softer and more digestible than regular cornmeal. It is the corn flour used to make tortillas and tamales have that wonderful strong corn flavor that is so characteristic in Mexican cuisine.